Donations by Rice employees to the university’s annual United Way campaign totaled 97 percent of its $175,000 goal during the campaign’s eighth week. With the addition of $25,000 in matching gifts from Rice Board of Trustees Chair Bobby Tudor ’82 and his wife, Phoebe, the total raised now stands at $194,971, or 97 percent of the way to meeting last year’s record-setting fundraising total.

“The importance of the generous matching gift by our honorary campaign chairman can’t be overstated,” said the campaign’s faculty chair Wade Adams. “The matching challenge by Bobby and Phoebe drew 45 members to our new Club 21 giving society (those who donate $500 or more) and 20 new lead donors (those who give $1,000 or more). and 13 renewing lead donors increased their giving this year in order to qualify for the match. All told, that $25,000 match brought in well over $50,000 in additional faculty and staff donations.”

Currently, the Administration division leads the campus in funds raised with $22,229, the School of Natural Sciences has the most lead donors, with 13, and the Finance divisionleads in participation, with 80 percent.

Rice employees can make a pledge payable by payroll deductions spread over all paychecks in calendar (and tax) year 2014 by logging in to ESTHER (http://esther.rice.edu) and filling out the United Way form. To make a cash, check or credit card contribution (for tax year 2013), complete, print and mail the pledge form found at www.rice.edu/unitedway.